The mechanisms that cause glaucoma are not completely known. It is known that glaucoma results in abnormally high pressure in the eye, which leads to optic nerve damage. Over time, the increased pressure can cause damage to the optic nerve, which can lead to blindness. Treatment strategies have focused on keeping the intraocular pressure down in order to preserve as much vision as possible over the remainder of the patient's life.
Past treatment includes the use of drugs that lower intraocular pressure through various mechanisms. The glaucoma drug market is an approximate two billion dollar market. The large market is mostly due to the fact that there are not any effective surgical alternatives that are long lasting and complication-free. Unfortunately, drug treatments as well as surgical treatments that are available need much improvement, as they can cause adverse side effects and often fail to adequately control intraocular pressure. Moreover, patients are often lackadaisical in following proper drug treatment regimens, resulting in a lack of compliance and further symptom progression.
With respect to surgical procedures, one way to treat glaucoma is to implant a drainage device in the eye. The drainage device functions to drain aqueous humor from the anterior chamber and thereby reduce the intraocular pressure. The drainage device is typically implanted using an invasive surgical procedure. Pursuant to one such procedure, a flap is surgically formed in the sclera. The flap is folded back to form a small cavity and the drainage device is inserted into the eye through the flap. Such a procedure can be quite traumatic as the implants are large and can result in various adverse events such as infections and scarring, leading to the need to re-operate.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for improved devices and methods for the treatment of glaucoma.